Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Stevie Mack: A Working Actor/Comedian


If I am pursuing acting and comedy as a career, which I am, every day that goes by must be a day in which I have done something to advance my career. When I first got started back in 1991, I performed comedy as a hobby. When I found out I was good at it, I performed to be a part of show-business, but not really in show-business. I hung out with a select group of comedians, we partied and performed all over the place, then the strangest thing began to happen; most of my comedian friends began to rise to fame. Chris Tucker did the Tonight Show and went on to star in the Rush Hour movie franchise. Then Dave Chappell started getting all these parts in movies culminating with a very successful TV show. The list goes on, D.L. Hughly, Kat Williams, etc.

Once I decided to take this business serious, I had to take a sobering look at the similarities and the differences between me and them. First, the similarities; We are all Black, good looking, very funny plus have acting talent, we performed at mostly the same venues and we all knew, pretty much, the same people. So, what were they doing that I wasn't doing? They were doing the business part of show-business. Somewhere along the line they had gotten agents, managers and a publicist. They were doing their do-diligence on a daily basis, making calls, going on auditions, networking and promoting themselves. I was just performing and partying, thinking success came through osmosis and because I knew everybody. But it doesn't work like that. It takes hard work and a professional approach. I had to begin viewing myself as a valuable commodity.

This year I launched into doing my do-diligence in show business, I started working on the show and the business, and slowly I am seeing the transformation from obscure funny man to Working Actor/Comedian. Every day I have to keep up the work, because faith without work is dead. I check into my home-based office everyday and get to work on my career, just like I've done each morning for so many years while working for other people. I currently don't have an agent or manager. I use the web based agencies to book all of my auditions, Casting Networks $10. per month and Actors Access $68. year. I built my profile & resume there, added photos and they send me audition notices. I will join SAG and get a manager when opportunity presents itself.

Stevie Mack is featured on HBO in four episodes of "Little Britain", and stars on Discovery Health Channel's "Mystery ER".

REELS: http://www.steviemack.com/

BOOKING: steviemack@steviemack.com

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